Edward's New Apprentice
by Immortalwerewolf
Summary: A visit from an old friend, Edward's past promise, and now he's on a wild goose chase? How will Edward keep his promise when it involves him challenging the Volturi itself? Please Read and Review, it would be awesome!
1. Delivery

Chapter 1: Delivery

It was 2023, but the years hadn't changed our agreement. Standing in the imminent rain, Shay's weight doubled by the second against my shoulder. Losing focus, completely drained, I pushed on to climb the steps up to his house. We had met in the 60's, drawn to discover our own abilities together. I had been innocent and carefree then, my hair it's natural midnight shade, the years of barren torture nothing but a future waiting to come. But with my disgusting habits, I was soon drawing in the predators that wanted to kill him and his family, the other Children of the Moon. We made an agreement, never to make contact and to give his family the chance to escape to the Americas. It was like losing a part of myself, and I regretted every mistake I made to end up losing one of my closest friends. He knew this of course, and would be expecting me by now as I was not ten inches away from the front door. Hopefully the difference wouldn't shock him nearly as bad as others I've some to visit after a decade or so. In an attempt to hide my identity, I had gone ahead and drained all the color from my hair and replacing it with a sick blond. The contacts in my eyes were beginning to fade away, the dark blue turning into my own red. I heard a shift inside, movement of several bodies at the same time. They were getting ready to fight.

That long forgotten scent of theirs still sent chills down my spine, but the memories of their kindness drew away the instinct to attack. Adjusting Shay's weight with a moan on my shoulder, I looked into her pained face again. The dark tangles of hair, glints of silver from her eyes as they opened and closed in exhaustion, it was still breathtaking as the first time we met.

"Hold on, we're almost home free." I whispered, rubbing her loosely swinging arm. The answer was her groan and then a weak smile.

"I'm not so sure about this Eric... the survival rate of a changing is..."

"Don't start that again, you have to survive this for Lane." I argued, balancing her weight again.

"Sorry, I just can't forget what they did..."

"Then don't, but don't let it kill you." I snapped, pushing away the memories that she refused to let go of. She fell into unconsciousness, my nerves frizzing into stealth. Yes, I had to break this agreement, I couldn't lose Shay. She was the world to me, more than important than any agreement I had made almost a century before. Sighing, I went through the events that led me to this house through my head, painfully remembering every injection, every beating, and our wondrous escape to be here now. The mental explanation was difficult, the images perfectly understandable to you, but the person seeing them might be confused. As hard and clear the memories were, no audio would be heard until the very end.

"Don't fight it Shay! You're dying! I can't lose you!" My own voice screamed, locking all of my muscles in fear. Just the tone alone was enough to send anyone running in horror. With the final memory staining my sanity, the door finally clicked and easily glided inward. Standing on the the other side in all his un-aging glory, he glared into my eyes. Those copper eyes were nearly on fire, daring me to take another step.

"I told you to never come near me or my family ever again. What makes you dare yo come this close?" he spoke quickly, pulling his arms forward in an attack stance.

"Please, I've shown you what happened. I would go anywhere else in the world if she wasn't dying!" I pleaded, Shay's weight doubling again onto my shoulder.

"How do I know you aren't making it all up? You do have a very active imagination Eric." he spat, now looking from me to Shay quickly. She was completely unconscious, nothing but my sheer will power was keeping her standing with me.

"See for yourself." I growled, putting my opposite hand on Shay's throat, pulling back the stiff, clotted jacket from the gaping wound in it. Blood stained her skin and the dark fabric, the scent of her half changed blood flowing out to both our noses. "She's dying! You can't betray me... her like this!" I begged, trying to figure out what he was thinking for once.

"All right, but only until she is healed, agreed Eric?" He jabbed after a few moments of consideration, a familiar face appearing behind him to take Shay away.

"Thank you." I muttered, letting Shay's weight lift off of my now aching shoulder. The adrenaline gone, my blood flowed in full force and pumped unrelenting.

"Was everything you told me true Eric? You were left for dead, and so you are practically free?" He questioned, still reluctant to let me inside.

"Yeah, every..." I couldn't think, my mind suddenly shooting off into the unknown. I cussed over and over in my mind, realizing my plan was moving too fast.

"Eric?..." he suddenly inhaled sharply, covering his face with a strong hand. "What? Are you okay Eric? Eric!" The world suddenly hurtled in circles around me, the last sight being Edward Cullen reaching forward as I slammed into the ground.


	2. Realization

Chapter 2 : Realizations

The redundant repeating of the heart monitor would have numbed my ears if they could change at all. Hours separated me from the complete flip that left me standing in this room. It reminded me of the old library we had in Forks, but the surrounding balcony that hugged the ceiling and the green house that glowed on the other side of the windows separated the two worlds. Looking back once more, my un-beating heart ached in need. I wanted to feel remorse, wanted to be excited for her survival. It was a miracle, Eric's friend still breathing on her own, heart thudding in a healthy beat. Turning back, my love played around with Esme in the green house, smelling a flower and caressing a vine. My innocent love, completely oblivious to the events taking place in her own home. Eric had returned, completely anew from the years of hiding and forgiving. I had thought of him frequently through the years, an after thought from time to time. Where had he finally gone, did he find peace, was he even alive? Now I can almost laugh at the events that took place in my absence, looking back at the locks of greying hair that his friend bore. But eventually she would wake, and I doubted I would see that peacefulness for a long time. Carlisle and Jasper were in the process of taking care of Eric's body, the usual procedures being taken despite the circumstances. The laugh died instantly, Eric's final thoughts and memories penetrating into mine. Returning to the girl's side, I found the same burn mark that Eric wore, the number 47 engraved into her shoulder just as he had 13. Who would've guessed that from finding the one place Eric truly belonged, that he would have to face the worst of the pain just yet. A prison for Children of the Moon, all kept in cells and chained away for their lives. This poor girl, barely past her teens, had been sent there on suspicion. But she was human, and would be for at least another hour. Eric's memory of his escape was incredible, another friend appearing from the darkness, but then suddenly exploding into a rush of red and screams, soon fading back into the black. Curiosity nearly blinded me, my thoughts suddenly becoming drowsy and unfocused. I realized the girl's dreams were suddenly visible to me, her conscious awake enough to see finally. She dreamed of the same friend, his disappearance just as gruesome. Opening my eyes from concentration, the white of her hair was surprising. It had completely altered in color, silvery waves still shrinking into the sterling white. The transformation had completed.

"Eric..." she moaned suddenly, lips filling with the quickening pulse of her blood, turning a dark red. The smell was dull, but still the same metal crisp taste that Eric had always had. Only shades of more peach, her skin shivered against the cold air, fingers cringing back and forth. "Eric... where are we?" She asked, eyes finally fluttering open. I gazed into the awesome sight, complete bottomless pools of perfect silver surrounded her pupils, the black holes larger than most humans. Her breathing began to quicken, those eyes darting back and forth across the room until finally landing onto me. Her body clenched, twisting a complete circle before she landed on the ground, sliding backward on her bare feet away from me, pressing against the bookshelf opposite of me. The questions were speeding through her mind at inhuman rates, her eyes locking onto mine and penetrating into me.

"Shay, calm down please." I asked, politely putting my hands to my sides and moving away from the bed she had been laying on. A flurry of cursing and arguing blasted from her thoughts, her hands cracking into animalistic claws.

"Where's Eric!?" She choked, suddenly straining to stand, grabbing into the shelf for dear life. Her pupils were beginning to melt into the whites of her eyes, the vibrant silver rings glowing against their blotted backgrounds. "Who are you anyway!?"

"I'm Edward, one of Eric's close friends. I'm sorry, but Eric is..." But her muscles suddenly unclenched, smoothing out under her skin, hands returning to a normal human form.

"Edward... Cullen?" Her pupils receded back into their centers, her left foot edging forward. "Eric said you could help us...So... I'm still alive." The images of dead prisoners waved through her vision, men and women's skeleton's morphing into disgusting figures that tore their insides apart. Inmates attempting to rip their own skin off from the horror of watching themselves become another being. Her vision reached the ground, and then back up at mine. Those dark lips parted into a small smile of accomplishment, then fell limp, her entire body falling onto the ground. My quick reflexes caught her in mid-fall, her entire body feeling more like a twig than a Child of the Moon, probably one of the very last. Her dreams were a swirl of calm colors, a safe retreat for her mind. This girl could rest now, knowing that her body would be safe.

I had just gotten her back onto the bed when Jasper opened the door, his discoveries from studying Eric's body revealed.

"So he did it himself?"

"That's what it looks like, otherwise someone had been following them and injected him with that filthy serum not twenty minutes before he came to the door. But I do not remember sensing any other of his kind other than that girl." He pointed to the bed, Jasper's expression becoming longing. But there had been more, his mind revealed again.

"How long had he been in that prison for?"

"It's hard to say, the number 13 doesn't give any clues, but I think that was there from an earlier visit. I'm pretty sure Eric had been sentenced to the prison and escaped before finding this girl. Her number 47 looks newly carved." I could see the injected serum intwined with Eric's own blood. Carlisle had taken a sample to investigate with, but the evidence had been clear. Eric's body lye peacefully, everything about him looking so... human. I couldn't help but attempt to feel jealousy, his ever beating heart finally coming to a stop. Jasper left the room with his thoughts still swirling around in mine. Eric had given up, leaving behind Shay as a newborn Child of the Moon.

I didn't want to believe it, but it was the only fact I could count on at the moment. She would awake again, probably probing for answers and adjusting to her new self. But for now, all I could do was wait, watching my love from a distance, wishing I could tell her everything that was happening. No, Bella couldn't now anything from my previous life of hate and self-destruction. I would lock the final doors that led to that life, Eric's death the final link. Shay was just an unfortunate price I would have to pay to return Eric's determination. She would become a part of the family just like Bella and Jacob, constantly linked with our society. I frowned at her sudden vibrant dream of Eric, hugging Shay close in a loving memory. She hadn't felt this before, real love and appreciation from another being. And then Lane appeared, completing the picture and holding her even closer. They were more than friends, her mind assumed. Shay could tell him anything, be with him forever, but... He was different. Lane formed into a large silver wolf, wise and noble in the moonlight that glowed around him. But Shay loved him still, running her fingers in his fur and lying next to him in the grass.

A pang of regret surged through me again as I gazed at my love, my fears before turning her coming to life once again. Shay had experienced exactly what I had feared, being punished and tortured for loving the wrong person. But she wouldn't give in, everything about this Lane absolutely perfect. He could do no wrong, couldn't be anything less than exactly what she wanted. Shay stirred in her sleep, taking a deep breath and sighing out loud. The dreams darkened into nothingness, she was past the dreaming stage. I took out a long forgotten book from one of the vast shelves and began fingering through the pages, preparing for the long wait.


	3. Broken Promises

Chapter 3 : Broken Promises

She finally spoke, curling back into a squatting stance as the perfectly white snow surrounded her in sheets.

"I guess Good-bye isn't really our style."

Shay had made a complete recovery of her injuries within hours, wanting to know immediately what had happened to her best friend. I could feel the pain reverberating off of her, mind-reading was unnecessary. She turned, looking at me with red-circled eyes and a running nose.

"Did he suffer?" She asked. I couldn't answer honestly, but I couldn't lie. I had seen the red and black slashes of pain that ripped at Eric's consciousness moments before he finally died.

"_Don't let her die Edward..._"

"I'm not sure. He was pretty out of it by the time you both got here." I answered, wishing that I could feel a shot to the foot.

"_They'll come after her and you eventually..._"

"That's.... good I guess. Dying numb is better than dying in pain." Shay commented, standing up and stretching out her new muscles in the cold air.

"_She's more important to me than anything else Edward..._"

"So how long do I have to stay here for my recovery?" Shay had finally asked, walking away from the make-shift grave and smelling the air lovingly. "I really want to test out these new abilities."

"_I'll never forgive you if you let her go..._"

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving for a while, Eric was pretty adamant about that." The anger in her mind accelerated for a moment, then melted into numbness, Shay's mind always in a state of dullness.

"I guess if that's what he wanted. What about your family though, do they want me here?"

"If not, I'll make sure they stay away. Bella and Alice will be more than happy to accept you." the visions from Alice's mind confirmed, a clear visual of her and Bella embracing Shray in a later time, Shray obviously in tears. I wander what would drive her to that?

"You know, just a couple of months ago and I would've said that werewolves and vampire were complete nonsense. But you seem pretty real to me." She thought of the first time she had seen Eric and Lane transform in front of her, two monsters that could easily kill her with one swipe. But she clung close to the silver one, Eric's dark figure hovering close behind.

"I have one question Shay. Who was this Lane person?"

"How do you know that name?" Waves of anger and sadness flowed from her as she stopped short in the snow, glaring at me.

"Eric mentioned him before he died. And I keep seeing another person in your memories. Eric was thinking of him too in his final moments." I told her, stopping next to her in sequence. But she didn't answer, looking at the snow in a gaze as the memories faded quickly, the images melting into blackness. Then her head snapped up at me, eyes dark with rage as the the heat of the emotion surrounded me in the cold climate.

"Stay out of my head Edward Cullen. I don't care what kind of promise you made to Eric, I'm not him!" She snarled, stepping a foot toward me.

"I only want to help Shay. Eric wanted me to protect you, and that's what I plan to do." It didn't take much for her mind to come back to the light. She was desperately trying to lock everything out of my reach, a wild chase happening without either one of us taking a step.

"Why haven't you told Bella anything about me or Eric? I asked her if she knew how you and Eric met, and she didn't know who he was!" She yelled, forcing me out completely.

"That's none of your business. I'll tell her when she needs to know." I backfired, coming closer to her.

"Then I'm not telling you anything until you have to know." Shay growled, turning away and walking in the opposite direction of the house.

"Where are you going Shay?" There wasn't an answer, just a cold shoulder from the wind and the Child of the Moon that walked in the snow away from me. I never thought that this would be the last time I would see Shay, and to everyone's benefit I was right.

At the time all I could think about were the similarities we had, and convinced myself that it would be better for her to stay here with us. But now I see how ignorant I was being to her very existence. Jacob Black may not have been a true werewolf, but he still carried that need to be free, unbound my anything. Renesme kept us updated with frequent letters from America, the years just flying by now that she was allowed to live her own life without the Volturi coming after her. And by my plea, no one in the house who hadn't been directly involved didn't know about Shay's true reason for staying here for the short time she had. It was hard not to tell Bella the truth, it felt like such a betrayal of what we had come to be. It may have been Alice's lack of vision for our future or the sudden escape Shay had made, but I never thought we were done completely. Sometime, maybe in the great future, we would meet under strange circumstances again, passing by in the chaos that had brought about our introduction again. My only wish was that she did not repeat Eric's mistakes even though that was the most probable root she would take. My fears were confirmed years later, when Bella and I were enjoying the mid-day green house glow. Alice was suddenly in a fit of panic, her vision leeching into my brain forcefully as if she was warning me.

"Look what I found for you Lord Caius, a Child of the Moon for you to kill. She's been causing quite a lot of trouble in town for the Volturi, publicizing her hunger for human blood." A sly voice sounded, complete darkness all I could see. So Caius hadn't stopped his hunt for the Children of the Moon had he?

"Look at that majestic hair Caius, I would be a glorious contest to see whose was whiter!" Aros' familiar voice cut in, setting off all of my nerves. I finally realized what Alice had been trying to warn me about. The Volturi was going to capture Shay, and then Caius would take his revenge on her.


	4. Chasing Shadows

Chapter 4 : Chasing Shadows

The next few days were nearly as adrenaline pumped and panicky as the time James came after Bella so many years ago. The only difference and our biggest problem was that none of us knew where Shay had taken off to. My first guess was America, knowing that's where Eric originated and Shay's English. But there were bigger problems on the flight over, eighteen hours spent next to Bella hoping that she wouldn't get curious. I should have known better.

"Why are we chasing someone who ran off just to save them?" She asked, turning off the movie I was attempting to distract myself with.

"Because I made a promise Bella. Eric was a good friend, and he asked me to take care of her."

"But she ran away Edward. She apparently doesn't want any help." She argued.

"I'm not going to keep track of her constantly Bella, that would be impossible for a Child of the Moon, but if she's in danger and I know about it, I'm going to try to help her." I concluded, holding her hand in mine and stroking her hair. I had hoped the complications would stop there, but the plane landed in a war-zone of chatter and suspicion. I had forgotten how idiotic and senseless the chatter of a crowded area was. Random comments about the weather, money, and the excitement of a new adventure on a shiny plane.

It would be difficult to start the search for someone who didn't want to be found, but that was where the convenience of a large family came in. We split into pairs, traveling as far as we could be car in all directions to try to find any scent or sign of Shay. It was the only shot we had, but Rosalie didn't see it that way.

"Why are you dragging the rest of us into this Edward? Eric only caused us trouble and this Shay girl isn't doing much different." She snapped, refusing to get in the car with Emmett. Of course she would oppose, remembering that I had spent more time trying to convince Eric to stop rather than fall in love with her. I would have to thank him after I die.

"Just stick to Emmett will you? Is it that hard to just drive around until you spot something?" I retorted, not waiting for her response before getting into my own car with Bella in the passenger's seat. Another one of Alice's visions clouded my mind for just a second, giving me more confidence in our plan. It was me, holding a gray clouded figure in my arms while on a phone. But I realized Bella wasn't anywhere to be found. Looking over to her in the car, she didn't look back, but instead out the window at the cloudy overcast in the New York noon.

"Is there something you want to talk about Bella?"

"Just wandering why you won't tell me why this girl is so important to you. It can drive someone crazy you know." She mumbled, leaning back in her seat. Bella had changed so much since the transformation, it almost made me envious of all the times we had shared before Renesmee or the Volturi. Sometimes I found myself still bracing to catch her from stumbling while we walked together or still felt like I should be pulling myself away from the scent of her blood. But she was a vampire now, and all imperfections disappeared.

"Bella, I honestly barely even know Shay. An old friend just asked me to take care of her." I reassured, but the unsettled feelings still lingered in the air.

"You've never mentioned having any friends from the past before either." She sighed, putting her hand on the door handle.

"Because they didn't matter anymore. I thought Eric was long dead, and that's why I didn't mention him before. A lot of things happened with him that I don't want you to worry about."

"They matter now Edward! We're chasing down some girl that your friend wanted you to take care of, and it might put us in that same danger that made you get rid of him in the first place!" She suddenly yelled, darting her copper eyes at me. I realized that I had been unfair to her, probably unknowingly pushing her away from me.

"What if I told you everything? Can you remember that this was a long time ago and things are different now?" I asked, starting the ignition without looking at her.

"I just want the truth Edward." She answered, pain dripping from her words. It killed me inside to hear her in any kind of pain, and found myself talking a mile a minute to explain everything to her. From Eric and I meeting by coincidence at school, to the night when Eric came to our house in a panic.

"His entire arm was covered in blood, and at first we thought he was going to become a vampire like Carlisle and me. But it never progressed like any of us, and Eric was soon back to his old self, only different. Right away we knew he wasn't human anymore, his scent completely changed and his physical appearance changing every day. First his eyes changed from brown to red, and then his hair turned a bright blond after being dark brown for as long as I've known him. Carlisle was the first one to figure out what happened, doing research and being in contact with others around the world. Eric had become the exact opposite of us, a real werewolf, or Child of the Moon." I explained, stopping to get my barrings on our direction. We had taken the north, although we didn't have very far to go considering our current position.

"That's not as bad as you made it out to be Edward." Bella pointed out.

"But Eric didn't see becoming a monster as glamorous as you did Bella. He actually hated it, doing everything in his power to find a way to get rid of it. For a long time I thought he was just having a hard time getting used to the idea of living a lot longer than expected. Children of the Moon aren't immortal like us, they're still alive, only suspended to live a few more centuries than humans. They age, only very slowly." I trailed off, seeing clearly that horrible night when I had learned the truth about Eric's hobbies. "He tried things that would kill humans, drugs and drowning himself in alcohol, things like that after he realized there wasn't a cure. But things like that cost money, something that he was short on. Eric came to us one night begging for cash and our help to keep him connected. But he had drawn attention to himself, and They were already chasing him down to our doorstep." I sighed, taking a quick turn in the airport traffic to speed down the open freeway.

"You cut him off." Bella concluded, resting her head back on the seat.

"I had to, he was bringing them to us and wouldn't quit. By the time I finally threw him out..." I couldn't finish, seeing the scene clearer than expected. Eric's dilated eyes, the sirens blaring outside while the current Cullen family prepared to run. "I literally threw him to the dogs Bella, giving us the chance to escape to Europe for a couple of years." I finally let out, looking down away from the road for a moment. The absence of Bella's warning about wearing a seatbelt and the speed I was going again sent my mind into remorse.

"Edward, you did exactly what you had to. If you hadn't gotten rid of him, we probably wouldn't be here right now." Bella said, leaning over to stroke my arm.

The rest of the trip was spent talking about other things, more so avoiding the subject of Shay or Eric. Bella knew everything, and was apparently satisfied with the story. The farther we drove though, the more unlikely it was that Shay was anywhere to be found. The last big city before the long desolate road to Canada towered with lights and cheap motels. Bella gazed around wondrously as I tried to read as many minds as possible in the area. Our luck had seemed to be out when a sudden image appeared from someone in a nearby bar. Quickly parking and unbuckling, Bella went into action and slid outside of the car.

"Is she in there?"

"I think the bartender is looking at her, or someone else behind the bar is." I took a step forward when that familiar scent wafted through the air to both of us. There was more than one in the bar, and it probably wasn't a coincidence. A whole pack of Children of the Moon had settled in for a drink.

"Bella, I want you to stay out here." I begged, hoping she would listen for once.

"Why?"

"Because these creatures are very dangerous. I'm going to take a quick glance, but if _anything_ happens, I want the car ready so we can get out of here." I pleaded. Alice's vision was suddenly coming into place as Bella shrugged and sat back into the car, turning on the radio.

Opening the thick oak door, the mixed smells of beer and werewolves winded through the doorway. It only took a second for me to find her, sitting at the bar with a half empty glass of what had to be her seventh beer. Her thoughts a haze, she turned sluggishly on the stool to face me.

"Well hi Edward!"


	5. Ghost

Chapter 5 - Ghost

It was a mixture of jealousy and regret. Everything that had changed about her were things that I had once thought would be a human experience I missed out on. Shay's eyes were colored a dark brown, hair chopped off to a chin length. Black tribal shapes surrounded the familiar number 47 on her shoulder and continued down to her wrists. I could guess that the tattoos didn't stop at her arms, but her movements were what caught my eye the most. She was clearly drunk, and to a very high extent, slipping off the stool and stumbling over to run into me hard. Alcohol covered her breath thickly, hands reaching up to my face.

"You look sad Edward, aren't you happy to see me?" She asked, wrapping her arms around in a tight hug.

"Shay, what happened to you?" I asked, but was interrupted by the sudden movement of several bodies in the room. Strong figures surrounded us, all glaring with hungry eyes.

"Oh lay off! He's just a friend!" Shay spat, laying her head against my shoulder. She was heavy, and was almost falling asleep against me already.

"Shay, you know the rules. He's the enemy!" A burly man pointed out, taking a step toward her. They all followed in suit, closing in on Shay and I. I tried not to panic, refusing to remember how close Caius had come to death after fighting one werewolf.

"I said to leave him alone!" Shay growled, suddenly serious and clear-minded. Then in one fluid movement, she was flipping over me, barely missing the ceiling, and landing with her legs outstretched to smack two of the others down to the ground. Following behind, I dodged three others who jumped after me, catching Shay on the other side with a large handgun pressed against one of the men's foreheads.

"Shay!"

"Don't move!" Someone else shouted, standing up with his one large rifle in hand, "Don't make me Shay!" He shouted. The other two werewolves latched onto my arms in iron gripping claws. Shay's back straightened, head turning to face the opposing Child of the Moon that had threatened her. The brown contacts were gone, probably lost in the flurry of fighting that had just taken place. The silver rings hadn't changed unlike the rest of her, her thin body now visible. Her skin was paler than mine now, her entire skeleton just underneath the tattoos.

"Are you really serious with that gun Kale?" She asked, her entire body twisted like a snake in a dangerous pose across from the man with the rifle.

"He's the enemy Shay! We're ordered to kill them on sight, and all o f their allies." He cocked the gun loudly, taking aim. Restraining against my captors, it was hard enough to keep standing against their strength.

"Shay! I'll leave! Just don't get yourself killed over this!" I finally yelled, falling forward on the bar's hardwood floor. The two werewolves still kept my arms bound behind me, pulling hard enough to strain the stone bones I had. I couldn't see them anymore, but the werewolf with the rifle wasn't as brave as he put on, fear leaching all though out his thoughts. He was scared to death of Shay.

"One last warning Shay! Rick won't like it if you disappear!" He shouted, a quick glance of a dark bulky figure flashing through his vision.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less about Rick. I'm leaving now, and none of you are going to..." Her voice was cut off by the massive explosion from the gun. The werewolves all jumped away, piling out the door. The one named Kale was the only one to stay behind, staring at Shay's surprised expression.

"I'm more scared of Rick than you Shay." He whined, turning to run after the others. Coming to my feet, Shay still stood up, with both of her hands covered with blood over her abdomen.

"Shay..."

"I'll be fine! Just don't come near me." She sputtered, drops of blood escaping her mouth.

"Don't be stupid Shay, you need help." I coaxed, stepping closer.

"I said don't come near me!" She screamed, stepping backward against the empty bar. Her eyes were scanning the room quickly, but kept leading back to me.

"Shay, what's wrong with you? I'm your friend, remember?"

"Why are you here Edward?" She barked, coughing harder.

"Alice had a vision about you, and it wasn't good. We're all looking for you to try to stop it." I explained. trying to come closer to help. But when she looked up, my entire body froze. It wouldn't move, as if it had finally turned into real marble, the all the life left in it had disappeared. Eyes darker than night stared at me, glared with hatred.

"I never asked for your help. Now get out of here before the whole pack comes." She growled, slipping back against a stool.

"What? Shay you can't just push away someone who's trying to help you! I promised Eric that I would look after you if something went wrong!" The blood was too obvious now, rubbing off onto the varnished wood bar and rolling off the leather stool.

"Don't you dare say his name Edward! What do you think I've been trying to do all this time? I didn't defend you back there so we could just talk!" Shay choked, her flurry of color for thought becoming foggy and dull.

"Then what have you been doing all this time Shay? You're not exactly the strong, young Child of the Moon that ran away just a few years ago."

"Drinking Edward, every second of every day spent drinking." She slurred, pain flooding into her mind like an ocean, "Werewolves are harder to kill, and even harder to get drunk but... I can still notice when something of mine has been taken from me." Shay breathed, losing more and more blood as the seconds passed.

"What are you saying Shay?"

"Exactly what do you think half of a pack of werewolves will do once they've just lost one of their own to a cold vampire Edward? Just kill her and get it over with?" Her words were slurring together even more, muscles starting to shake and fail. Taking in the room again, I couldn't pinpoint what she meant. The others were gone, but they would probably come back in full arsenal to take me out and make sure Shay died. "Edward, they'll do anything to make the numbers even between us."

Suddenly the room was claustrophobic, becoming microscopic against the rest of the world. Throwing the door open and darting outside, I finally understood what Shay had meant.

"Bella!"

The entire car was torn to pieces, Bella's scent running off thinly into the distance. I ran back inside to find Shay on the ground, still bleeding profusely. I was soon on the phone, telling Carlisle everything I had found and discovered, holding Shay's body up to stop the bleeding, wishing I knew where my Bella had been taken to.


	6. Change of Plans

Chapter 6 - Change of Plans

"Goddamn it! How many can you miss!" Shay screamed for the four hundredth time, sitting up and screwing up the entire process again. Carlisle's patience was even thinning, Shay's lack of sense and ability to stay still ruining her chances every second.

"Every time you do that I lose more of them Shay! Anyone of these could nick a major artery!" He yelled, letting me pull her back into a headlock on the hard ground. Esme and Carlisle had been the first to arrive after my phone call, but the only other ones we knew that would come would be Alice and Jasper.

"Why are you even trying Edward? I can see how much you want to follow them, make them pay!" Shay taunted, glaring into my eyes with her silver rings of darkness. She had been trying to get all of us to leave her behind to find Bella instead, but Carlisle had found reason to save her.

"They'll kill Bella if Shay dies Edward, and we'll have no chance in finding her!"

Esme ran around the parking lot, finding clues and waiting for the others.

"Shay, you can't just give up this fast! I know you hate it, but think of Eric and how much he gave for you to live!" I struggled to yell at her, restraining myself from snapping her neck under me. She inhaled sharply and darted her eyes back toward Carlisle and the bloody mess that had been hiding under her shirt the entire time. Her torso had been massacred in the shot, sending a wide range of bullet shards all throughout her organs. Carlisle was struggling to find them all, and Shay's constant squirming wasn't helping.

"Eric didn't give anything you idiot! He was too far gone when we finally made it to your house! It was just like falling asleep to him!" She yelled back, arching her back in pain and driving her head into the floor.

"What are you talking about? He saved you from that prison Shay! He gave everything to make sure you were safe!"

"What about him though Edward! He left me alone with a bunch of vampires that sent all of my nerves on end!" She screamed, suddenly becoming still under my arms.

"Shay..."

"I can barely remember my life before Eric, because there wasn't one. He found me just like this, trying to drive myself into the ground just to get out." The first image that came out of the chaos of her thoughts finally appeared. She had been trying to keep me out for so long, thinking back and forth between random things to keep me off track. But now it was all clear, Eric's arms tightening around her from an unknown chill that surrounded her.

"All he did was leave me alone Edward, all with the memories of him to drive me insane." She whispered, a single tear pouring over her right eye.

"Edward, you're leg..." Carlisle pointed. I suddenly noticed the red stain climbing up my pant leg that had been kneeling in Shay's blood. She was losing too much, and Carlisle's prognosis wasn't good.

"Shay, I need you to stay awake!" I shook her shoulders, her eyes becoming glossy.

"I'll be fine Edward... I just need a nap..."

"No, you won't! Wake up..."

"Edward, she's lost too much blood. I don't have any spare with me, so we have to hope she'll recover eventually. She was right though, Children of the Moon are very hard to kill." Carlisle breathed, pulling out the last shard he could find. Shay's breathing slowed to an almost complete stop, but a little spark of her still lived. Somewhere, she was still alive and thriving.

"Carlisle, how are we going to find their base without her?" I asked, helping hoist her into the back seat of his car. He was right, the entire area still smelling of my Bella while surrounded by werewolves. But it was circular, like the entire group had rounded in circles until they reached far enough away. I glanced back at Shay, only seeing the hollow shell of her former self.

"What do you think she's been doing this entire time?"

"Probably everything she shouldn't. Her bones are almost visible, and I doubt she's eaten anything in about three days..." Carlisle leaned closer to her, pulling back the collar of her jacket, then her pant leg to look at her ankle, "And has nearly drunk herself to death. Her bones have already begun to brittle and her glands are almost non-existent." He finished, stepping back with a sigh. This was worse than I could've imagined, regretting ever letting her run. But I couldn't worry about Shay's current health, Bella was still out there. We searched the entire perimeter of the parking lot, finding a few promising leads, but continued in good distance with the car. Our plan was only just beginning to form when Alice's familiar mind emerged into my senses. But she was far, thoughts blurred by distance. Setting off like a bullet, I met her at the edge of the parking lot, slamming to a halt when her latest vision repeated right before my eyes.

"No!" I screamed, launching for the car.

"I'm sorry Edward, we tried to get here in time..." Alice pleaded, jumping out of Jasper's car. I was already in a panic, ripping the car door open although I already knew what I would find... nothing. My knees felt numb and fragile as I stared at my only chance at finding Bella refused to appear in the back seat. The last of the blood stained the leather seats darkly, but Shay wasn't there .

"Alice! Where did she go!" I screamed, turning back to a ghost. Alice was frozen solid, standing limply halfway between each car.

"Alice...?" Jasper asked, but was immediately interrupted.

"She's not going to die.... She didn't betray you... The pain of loss... It's the only way to settle things..." Alice grumbled, suddenly holding her head in her arms, almost reacting in pain. Jasper was at her side in a moment, caressing her face and holding her tight. Finally the vision ended, Alice breathing in a gasp of air and darting her dark copper eyes directly at me.

"What...?"

"Bella's running this way Edward, they let her go." Alice whispered, hugging Jasper in a reassuring gesture. A grateful rush of relief swept though me, all nerves only waiting for her return. There was still no sign of Shay though, and the werewolves wouldn't give up so easily.

"Alice, how did Bella get away?" I finally asked, breathing slowly, hoping the answer wasn't what I knew she would say.

"Bella is nearly here, safe and in one piece because... Shay gave herself back." She breathed, then suddenly short and tortured in her expression, "They'll do worse to her... Aro and Caius are nodding and taking a large crate with them..." Alice finally ended, gasping and looking back to me.

"They sold her." I finished, anger now replacing every feeling I could ever have. As soon as Bella was returned to me, the real fight would begin, and she was only a meters from the parking lot.


	7. A Lovely Reunion

Chapter 7 - A Lovely Reunion

Why was it so hard? No matter how hard I tried to make things better, they all ended the same way. The rushing stream of life that always flew right past me never came closer, always out of reach. Everyone else was a single drop of the vast flow, but I was on the outside looking at them. I could never be a single drop of ethereal substance, but always trapped as a tainted drop of spilled blood. The virus and the hate would only spread through them like wildfire, and I would be left for the blame. It was all after that first sight, the first time I saw my eternal savior staring back at me like some kind of wonder. He was foolish and mislead, my being seemingly important or worth his time on some kind account. And even though I had survived the transition, the beating, and the betrayal, I knew who I was.

And I wasn't anything worth saving.

My two best friends died to save my life and get me to this place. How's that for guilt? But Edward Cullen had thought I was important because of what Eric had told him, demanded from him.

"_He wanted me to protect you..."_

Oh Eric, how much you gave up in those last few days, dragging me along to your old friend's house in Washington. Back then I had chosen Lane and still sometimes find myself crying and wishing for his presence. But he was gone, just like everyone else would be eventually, the scar in my shoulder burning with every thought of that place. The place where werewolves were forced to fight against each other and kill for survival. But Eric had bared the worst of experiences, waking up from the trans-morphing drugs moments after Lane died from the wounds Eric dealt. He had killed his best friend, and made it his goal to keep me alive until now. Or at least it was until they caught up. We narrowly escaped in the night from the guards, but I knew they had snagged Eric in his sleep. A dart had been sticking out of my arm when I woke, but I hadn't been changed entirely yet, and probably just missed death. Maybe one day I'll tell my vampire protector these facts, put his worries to rest about all the conclusions he could be coming to when it came to Eric. Did he even know about Lane? I can still remember the last night we were together, just hours before they came in the night to take us away.

_"One day, we'll live forever Shay! The change is difficult, but you of all people should make it." _He insisted, kissing me softly before returning home. Of course I would survive the change, and now I'm stuck living while he is far from it. I probably would never see him again. Maybe that was why I am about to make these decisions from myself in life. Honestly I didn't want anything to do with it like this.

Please save your breath vampire, and don't come after me. I've made my decision, and no amount of shiny skin fluttering or copper glazed stares are going to change that. The other side of the universe is much more fun and relaxing, creatures of my kind wandering the streets silently, waiting for me. Sure the first few months were scary and full of tests to prove myself, but I guess I was a natural born werewolf. Then the consumption began; first a few beers here and there to keep me from remembering anything from the past, and now full blown comas started from this ugly habit. Sure the buzzes were fun, but soon I needed more. Pain was the next drug added to the list, ink injected into almost every section of my body, covering the ugliness and hatred inside. But that damned number, carved forever into my shoulder, wouldn't pass. Soon I was brandishing it, loving the attention a felon got in this town. But no matter how drunk I got, how badly my ribs showed, or how hungry I looked, nothing really mattered. At any given point I could throw it all away and feel... nothing.

They were all just fillers in my own personal fantasy of what the real world had given me. The overbearing father that was now my boss, pushing me to do things no one thought possible. Who knew how easy it was to steal diamonds? And then the characters around me began to take new faces, molding themselves into the ones I had left behind so long ago. That was why I could already believe the sudden appearance of Edward Cullen in my presence again, fighting as the almighty protector should. But he had no idea the kind of world he had just stumbled into, and I found myself thrown in front of a cocked barrel of a rifle for him. Maybe it was just being sick of the same deal day after day in this now old lifestyle I had, or the long repenting feel of 'I owe you' sickening my gut, but I was the protector now. Next I know I'm in horrible pain, Edward's one true love missing, and my own sanity on the line of destruction. I had failed again, and all the damage had been done by my very involvement in his life. And it might have been the massive pain coming from the bullet shards being pulled out of my ribs, but I suddenly felt responsible for everything.

I woke up a while later, lying on my back in a very comfortable leather seat. The Cullen's scent tainted the entire inside of the vehicle, but it was a nice reprieve from the usual awakening. Bella's scent was fading, running off in the distance of the pack. Of course, I just now remembered that Bella had been taken by them because of my betrayal to them. Sitting up, the plan was set from then on, and to make everything work out, no one could know. The door opened easily and quietly, and soon I was rolling out smoothly, dodging all twigs and other objects that made any sort of noise. Pulling back on my aching leg, I launched into the woods, flying over the underbrush and jumping off every tree that lye behind the giant city I once called home. But my calling had come now, the old warehouse coming into view. They would be angry, and wouldn't show mercy over torturing me to death, but that was just enough payment back to my protector.

Two caught me easily in my weakened state, dragging my limp body toward the center of the huge building, all the current residents in an outrage. Some wanted to kill the vampire now, others wanted to spread my torn body across the entire city to make sure I was dead. But the final judgment would be made by Rick, our sworn leader and strongest of the renegade pack. Bella was held by three transformed wolves, all baring their teeth at her every move. Her beauty was just as splendid as the rest, but I couldn't keep a gaze. I was doing this for her freedom and freeing the Cullens' from ever bothering with werewolves again. Rick sighed at my sight, beckoning me to be brought closer.

"Dearest Shay, where did you go wrong? What do these bloodsuckers have over you that makes you act so vigorously?" He asked, stroking a large hand against my numb face.

"Nothing Rick, I'm doing this on my own choice." I answered, attempting to keep my voice from quivering. Bella's stare was burrowing into my soul now, probably curing me to hell.

"Then what should I do Shay? You have betrayed us for them! Your very enemies! What will you do to save this young bat?" His hot palm was suddenly trapping my in a death grip, my head being pulled to look at Bella directly. Her copper eyes were even brighter than Edward's, but just as threatening as any predator.

"Trade us." I coughed, struggling to breathe, "Let her go Rick, I'll take her spot."

The whole warehouse echoed with their laughs, but they were all silent in my ears. Bella's expression had changed, softer, brighter. Forgiveness.

"And what? Let you run away again to join them later? I don't think so Shay!" Rick cried, pulling me back to face him, "This vampire is worth more than that!"

"Then let her go, and do anything you want with me. Torture me, do whatever you want! Even..." The words caught in my throat, the very thought of my next offer sending chills down my spine, "Sell me." I finished. The laughing had stopped, the whole pack understanding what I meant. Rick was the most sullen, relaxing his hand softly before suddenly pulverizing my entire jaw before clenching it down to crunch loudly. I could barely hear his answer over my own cries of pain.

"Alright."

All at once the three with-holding werewolves jumped back, Bella let free. She gazed back at me, eyes pulsing in question. I stopped screaming to watch her, trying to stop the tears from blurring my vision.

"Shay..."

"Get the hell out of here Bella!" I tried to yell, my message garbled by the lack of a bottom working jaw. But she was taken aback all the same, taking a quick glance before disappearing forever.

And just like that I was locked away, not a sound or light showing into my tiny holding cell. This was how Rick operated, and soon I was more feral than a wild werewolf. The vampires arrived a week later, taking extra care to completely read Rick's mind before opening the small crate. The one with silver hair glared hatefully, Caius.

"Well we will certainly have our fun destroying this one, won't we?" Aro commented, stepping forward to pull my hand into his. Soon his eyes widened and then shrunk again, his head nodding up and down.

"She will do, as always." He sighed, then took a step back. "Look what I found for you Lord Caius, a Child of the Moon for you to kill. She's been causing quite a lot of trouble in town for the Volturi, publicizing her hunger for human blood."

I didn't know what kind of sick game he was playing, but Caius seemed to become more bloodthirsty by the second.

"Look at that majestic hair Caius, I would be a glorious contest to see whose was whiter!"


	8. The Walking Dead

Chapter 8 – The Walking Dead

"That won't work! It's suicide going in there for a fight!" I finally yelled, becoming frustrated with the ideas I was getting around the room. We knew where Shay was, so we had all agreed to stay in our house in Forks for just a few days, trying to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, the odds weren't looking good against the entire Volturi. A few days had turned into a full week.

"Look, Renesme would help, and Jacob won't let her go alone. We'll have the entire pack and ourselves. That's somewhat of a chance." Bella insisted, suddenly very determined to get Shay back. I cursed my inability to read her thoughts, wishing I knew what had happened in the woods.

"Quite frankly, I don't think we should be even wasting our time. She made her decision, let the Volturi have her." Rosalie snapped coldly, turning away to go to her room. I blocked out the senseless screaming and revolt she had, hating having anything to do with werewolves. She had never gotten long with Jacob either, but I could never understand why.

"Edward, I don't want us to risk anything. I think Rosalie has a point." Carlisle insisted, always looking out for all of us.

"I don't either, but we have to do _something_!" I retorted, turning away from all their constant jabbering and staring back out at the woods. I had forgotten how beautiful it was here, but couldn't concentrate on anything. It would have been distracting if there wasn't something moving fast through it. I turned to Alice, but she couldn't give any leeway, the person or creature was just a gray spot in her visions.

"It might be one of the wolves." She muttered, moving away from the door with Jasper. I looked again, seeing the flash of brown again, along with th slightest glimpse of jeans.

"I don't think so..." I thought, turning toward the door to wait. The distant voice started just as a whisper, becoming louder and louder as the images came into view. He was thinking of Shay, a panic rising at the thought of her in danger. That was weird, as if everyone I ran into these days knew who she was. Finally it full blown anxiety, his footsteps echoing throughout the house as he came onto the porch.

"Maybe they regret selling her and want her back." Bella hoped out-loud, all the family staring intently at the door now.

"No, he knows her personally, but..." I looked at the image he had of Shay again. No tattoos, a smiling face, dark hair stretching down to her lower back. He didn't know the Shay I did, one from long time ago.

The Shay that was human.

In a second I was at the door and waiting too, probably just as anxious. Who would come here, thinking of the human Shay unless he was looking for her, worried about her. Someone who saw her in that way because they hadn't seen her in the past two years. Not only that, but he was longing for her, his entire mind set on where she was and her safety. Three knocks, and that was all I needed to open the door. Standing before me was the person who haunted Shay's dreams and memories while she was living here. The person she refused to talk about and flinched when his name was brought up in conversation. The person who had driven her to this fate, pulling her into this fictious world.

The infamous Lane.

"It took me a while, but I didn't catch Shay's scent until about a week ago. It's been a pain to stay off the grid since my escape." The ghost explained, leaning back into the white couch and almost purring. His story was convincing, but it was still unsettling to know that a young Child of the Moon had found us without any problem across the country.

"So how did you get here?" Bella asked, and the images couldn't stop. Constant movement through dense forests, vision peaked to sharpness no one in the room would understand unless they were Lane.

"It took days, but you guys smell so differently than humans, I only lost the trail once or twice." He answered, thinking back on the parking lot that we had first run into our current problems. And then suddenly, without warning, his voice and thoughts disappeared. Looking at him, I couldn't see anything that had changed, and the anger I felt every time Bella wouldn't let me in was threatening to take over.

"Sorry about that man, but you crawling all around in there was starting to freak me out." He turned to face me, completely innocent in his approach, "My family figured out your kind a long time ago. Nothing personal, I just like keeping my thoughts to myself."

Although I couldn't read his mind, the underlying threat couldn't be any clearer. Now I understood what had been driving Shay insane for the past two years. I could sense the connection and likeness they had to each other, and had to relate it to myself and Bella. Shay's attempts, or better lack of them, were no different than my attempt to die after thinking Bella had plunged to her death. But at the same time Lane's lack of concern or panic was disturbing. If he adored and cherished her so much, why wasn't he fighting to get her back as soon as possible?

"So what do you think we should do to get Shay back?" Bella prodded, leaning closer to me. Lane leaned forward on his palms thoughtfully, sighing loudly.

"I don't think there is much we can really do, but..." His expression was suddenly painful to look at, dark eyes squinting in pain, "We have to do something, Shay can't last long in an empire of vampires. They'll suck her dry for sure, that damn Eric can't keep up with her at all can he?" he growled, sending chills down my spine. Eric keeping up with Shay? The Volturi sucking her dry? Lane had been sitting in the living room for about an hour already, but all of my senses were to kill, and the very thought of drinking a Child of the Moon's blood repulsed me. Was Caius really that insane, or...

"Lane, when was the last time you saw Eric or Shay?" I asked, the air freezing in place all around us.

"Eric was the last one I saw, and it wasn't the greatest conversation in the world. He was actually forced to try and kill me, and vice versa. But after I caught both of their scents, I knew they had survived." Lane answered, his face contorted with confusion. He didn't know anything, thinking Eric was alive this entire time, and Shay with him, still human. The inability to read anyone's thoughts in the room was suddenly giving me claustrophobia. I would have known this a lot sooner if I could just read...

"Lane, you didn't catch Eric and Shay's scent last week, just Shay." Bella blurted, pulling her knees up to her chest, as if in pain. I wrapped an arm around her, but couldn't ignore the sudden change of atmosphere.

"What are you talking about? I distinctly caught that same metallic scent my whole family has, and Shay's familiar scent was mixed in with it...." he laughed, then stopped short. Lane stood, stepping over to the wall of glass that surrounded the entire first floor. Eyes wide with understanding, the young creature he really was leaked through and took over. Falling to his knees, Lane's shields suddenly gave way, pouring all of his unwanted thoughts into mine. The warmth and love that pulsed from Shay's human eyes, the need for him all the time throughout their time together. He had lost it all, and knew all too well what neither Bella or I had the courage to say. If Shay had changed this much, and become this strong, would she even need Lane anymore?

But his thoughts were complete nonsense of course, Shay was still just as much in love with him as she was when they first met. Becoming a werewolf didn't change anything, she proved that when she would rather die than live on without him in the bar. The way she had just given up, refusing to fight back. But that had been over Eric, and her belief that he had left her behind. Why would she believe so strongly that he would do that? Lane's shields were forming again, locking me out.

"Lane, if you and Shay were that close, where was Eric?" I asked, ignoring his scoff.

"Eric found Shay one night when we were hunting in the city. She was half-dead in an alley, just barely breathing. He brought her back to my family's house where we were both staying, and that was it. Shay always felt guilty for 'letting' herself fall for me even though Eric saved her." He muttered, never taking his eyes off the distant forest outside, "But he never blamed her. Eric once told me that he wasn't worth anyone's love, not even an ex-druggie with nothing left but her health."


	9. The Back Story

Chapter 9 – (The Back Story)

_I read back on some of the chapters that talked about Shay, Eric, and Lane's past and realized that it was a little confusing if you didn't memorize the entire chapter word for word. This is sort of a Catch-Up for those like me who need a re-freshening of memory every so often. _

Nearly enough torture to kill anyone else, except for me. The freezing air, intoxicating blood, I was a goner for sure. I didn't have to look to know what was puncturing the numb skin of my arm, it was too late. It was the price I had paid for nirvana for so long, and now it would end me. The white flakes of snow clouded my still vision, blotting out the dark buildings on either side of me. Little did I know that this was far from the end, so fare that the end was not even visible. A shadow engulfed the entire world, and for just a few hours I could swear that I was dead. Until a searing hot blanket of life forced me to awaken in an unfamiliar house. Then I saw him, deep asleep with his head on the bed next to me. A tangle of brown hair and a casual gray shirt, he pulled off the human look very well. He was gorgeous, and completely innocent in deep slumber.

It took a lot of budging, but he finally awoke with a sudden gasp of air and snapped up to meet my gaze.

"Oh, you're awake." He yawned loudly, rustling his hair out of his face with one hand, "We found you a couple days ago, and the doctor said you would wake up soon after they worked on you." Normally I would have snapped with rage and demanded why he had gone the extra mile to save me, but couldn't get my mouth to work. Crimson eyes were staring at me now, unlike anyone else had. What was this guy, perfectly helping me out and making sure I was okay. He answered my gawking with a laugh.

"My friend Eric found you in an alley, you should be more careful... I'm sorry, I never got a name."

"Shay." I answered automatically, suddenly gasping for air. He laughed and offered a hand casually.

"I'm Lane, nice to meet you." We shook, although I knew this relationship was going to be anything but casual. I found myself eating, sleeping, and laughing under the same roof as him and his friend Eric, who I thanked forcibly for saving me.

It was easy after that, falling in love while staying loved by everyone around me. It was a complete contrast to what life was like before, filled with lies and sneaking my staff away from everyone. But I suddenly feel the need to do any of it anymore, finally finishing school and getting my life together. Being oldest of my class by two years didn't bother me much, but only remember graduation so well because of what I confessed that night. Lane picked me up in his old ram-shack of a car and drove to a nearby restaurant, one of the few in the small town we were in. Just like most of the other buildings, it was backed by a small reservation of woods that no one really paid attention to. Eric was leaning up against the front entrance, a cigarette burning out in his mouth. It was now or never, my nerves not going to be enough after talking with them together in the restaurant. Lane was reaching over to unbuckle his seat-belt when I grabbed his arm.

"Can we just sit here for a second and talk?" I asked, trying not to let my nervousness show in front of him. What if he hated me for ruining this peace we all had together? What if they kicked me out for coming between their friendship? All the questions blazing through my head were starting to blur my vision. I only snapped back when Lane suddenly started to laugh.

"You look like you're about to jump into freezing water Shay, what's up?" He asked, stifling his laugh. It only made my heart beat faster until I starting blurting things no one should ever say in front of someone they're in love with.

"Lane, I've really been thinking about maybe there being something more to you and me, but I'm really nervous about it since Eric is here too. But I don't feel the same about him, even though he's the one who saved me all that time ago. You're the one I want to be with, especially now since I'm finding less and less reasons for me to say with you guys. I'm fully recovered, I just finished school with your help, all I need is to make enough money to make it out on my own..." I stopped for a second, resisting the urge to run out of the car like my hair was on fire, there was no turning back. "But the truth is, I don't want to leave without you, without being with you." I finally ended, slapping both of my hands over my mouth before I could spill anymore. Lane didn't respond at first, so I had to look to make sure he was still there. Lane breathed out slowly, then nodded to himself. Opening his door, I knew that I had done it. I had ruined everything, he didn't want to be with me the same way I wanted to be with him. I was just someone he was helping through a hard time, and I had become too attached. The door shut behind him the same second mine opened from the outside.

The movement was so quick I jumped in surprise away from the door. Lane was offering me a hand, just like on the first day we met, on the other side.

"There's something you ought to know Shay." He said calmly, urging me to take his hand. After a seconds hesitation, I did, convincing myself that I had imagined it. Eric looked up at us as Lane was pulling me past the restaurant, toward the woods behind it.

"I thought no one was allowed in here." I commented, part of me hoping Lane would suddenly snap out of it and turn around. But he continued without answering, Eric following right behind. We kept at it until the parking lot was out of sight, the sounds heard being the night animals crawling around the trees. I didn't want to know what they were, and tried to concentrate how hot the weather was getting. The night air was still steaming, sticking to my skin and frizzing my hair. Neither Lane or Eric seemed to notice it though, taking a few more unsure steps ahead of me.

"When I found you Shay, I wasn't just taking a walk in the city." Eric breathed, turning around to face me. He was much heftier looking than Lane, older too in some ways. Sometimes I wondered about what things he had done before moving here. But I'd never gotten the courage to ask, his hungry eyes always threatening to launch him at me in attack.

"And the money for our rent and food doesn't come from a trust fund from my parents." Lane confessed, his already pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight that surrounded us now. It was a little confusing, like I was supposed to suspect them this entire time of something they weren't telling me.

"So are you guys like drug lords or something?" I asked, but apparently that just made them angrier. Both boys made a growling sound, looking back from each other to me.

"Shay, it's a little more complicated than that. Please try to understand, we don't want to hurt you." Lane whispered, looking down at his hand. Then suddenly, his hand was being replaced by something else, knuckles snapping into large claws, silver fur starting to sprout and cover it. Choking down a scream, I stumbled back into a tree, watching my two best friends morph in front of my eyes. They were just as different as wolves as they were human, Eric a tall, brown furred beast with angry yellow eyes. But it nearly killed me inside to watch Lane explode in a slightly shorter silver haired dog. His paws were almost as big as my whole face, tail threatening to break bones with a single swipe.

My knees crumbled in weakness at the sight of them both, sending me falling to the ground. I imagined them tearing my throat out, enjoying a late dinner of fresh meat. But then the wolf that had once been Lane whined loudly, crouching down to my height with pained black eyes. I suddenly wanted to believe that he wouldn't hurt me, and Lane was still in there somewhere. I reached out with a shaking hand, forcing myself to repeat it over and over, he won't hurt me, it's Lane! Finally my fingers brushed against his warm fur, stopping all the shuddering that had overcome my entire body by then.

Lane's huge jaw opened and closed in satisfaction, a low rumbling coming from his throat. I smiled, proud of myself for standing up to something this scary. But then he started to lean forward, my fear returning as I closed my eyes to hide his huge fangs from my sight. I mentally prepared myself for the pain, or the utter disgust if this wolf-Lane started to lick my face. Seconds passed, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes and see him just inches away from me. Then with a happy surprise, human lips pressed against mine, Lane wrapping his arms around me in embrace. I couldn't help myself, returning his kiss lovingly and pulled him closer. I didn't care about his weird werewolf alter ego, or that he was really an animal underneath it all. He was still the Lane I had fallen in love with, opening my eyes to see him again. But just as things were perfect, I realized Eric had disappeared. Yes Lane had returned my feelings, but where had that left Eric?

Lane and I lived happily for about a month in his house, Eric always dropping in unexpectedly when he wasn't pretending to work or out hunting in the woods. Apparently since I had found out the big secret, he was able to freely go out whenever he wanted without explanation. I didn't mind though, I was too busy being in love with Lane. Until our last dinner together at one of our favorite places in town. We were walking in the now breezy night toward his car when Lane pulled me close to his side.

"There's something I need to talk to you about Shay. It's got something to do with the whole werewolf thing." He confessed, changing direction to guide me behind the restaurant in an alleyway. It was invisible to the people inside and whoever was walking in the street because of the shadows.

"What's up?" I played innocently, admittedly a little tipsy from a few too many beers. Lane had had many more than me, but was showing complete sobriety.

"Shay, we've been at this for some time now. And I'm pretty sure you're going to guess what I'm about to ask you. But I have to tell you what this means completely, okay?" He breathed, obviously becoming as nervousness as I was every time he was around me, "I'm not just some kid who was bitten by a werewolf back in the day. I'm actually part of a whole family, a family who have standards and rules." He confessed again, wrapping his hands around mine.

"Okay, what does that have to do with us?" I blurted, letting my forehead press against his in a small huddle of warmth.

"Because Shay, what I'm about to ask you is a little more than just what it's said to be. My family won't let me marry just any human on the street, they have to carry on the bloodline like we have for generations. And I can make that happen, probably better than anyone else. If I changed you, you would have ten times a better chance on surviving if let's say, Eric did." He rushed, all the info taking longer to sink in than for him to stop, "The point is, I want to be with you and only you Shay. Us werewolves live for almost forever."

The words were so beautiful, I actually held my breath to see if I was dreaming. But all I got was a beer tainted headache.

"One day, we'll live forever Shay! The change is difficult, but you of all people should make it." He said excitedly, kissing my forehead and then suddenly shrinking down below me. He was actually on one knee now, pulling something small from his pocket.

"Shray, will you marry me? Be with me forever?" He asked, those crimson eyes piercing into mine again. I couldn't breath, no amount of alcohol could ruin this moment. A beautiful silver ring glittering inside the tiny box, Lane preparing to put it on my finger. This would mean more than just the perfect marriage to the perfect person, Lane was willing to give me everything and share everything with me. I would become what he was, and live almost forever with him.

"Yes!"

Twelve hours later, I lay unconscious on a smooth mattress, unawares of the troubles that were about to begin. First it was the slamming of the front door, then Lane's screaming as he tried to reach the bedroom in time.

"Shay wake up! Run!"

But it was too late, armored hands grabbing my shoulders and yanking me backward and into the opposite.

"I got the female! Let's get out of here!" A heavily distorted voice yelled painfully into my hung over ears. At the time, I had no idea what they were doing in our house, or why they decided to capture us. But soon I was slammed into a cold chair, dressed in a flimsy night gown, being read the charges against me.

"Number 47, you are charged with the illegal and public endangerment of a virus believed to cause the transformation of humans into dangerous creatures dubbed 'werewolves', do you reconcile?" The old voice asked from the other side of the safety glass, a man wearing a dull gray suit and displaying a golden crucifix around his neck.

"I haven't been changed." I blubbered, barely able to make sense of where I was.

"Of course you don't, but the law requires me to at least ask." He sighed, folding away a manila folder and gesturing for the guards to take me away again. They didn't bother with much of the usual processing, probably believing we were just for testing and that was it. My hair was cut short, but never kept that way, and I was forced to wear a black jumpsuit. Then my own name was taken from me, a new identity carved in the flesh of my shoulder. After I screamed in pain and tore away from the completely covered person with the steel needle, anyone would've guessed that I wasn't able to handle this pain. Whether they believed it or not, three guards were brought in to hold me down as the white hot metal seared through my skin again. The number 47 was the new person I was becoming now, a fugitive to the whole world locked away forever in a prison for the almost immortal.

The cell was the worst part of it though, concrete walls thin enough to hear the others in the prison scream in pain and try to escape. They had taken away everything I had gained since being in a situation much like this. It was cold again, but none of it was my own fault. I couldn't take self-pity or blame myself for anything. Even though I had only worn it for just a few hours, my hand still looked bare without my new engagement ring on it. But more than anything I wanted to be with Lane again, just have him next to me to tell me it was going to be alright. Hold me close and talk about our future as a married couple of werewolves that would live forever. Without any of that, all I could do was cry in that cold cell, not wanting to live or try to escape. I truly believed for it to be the end of the road, and reacted as such.

Two weeks without a bite of food and very little to drink, they finally gave up on me. I couldn't move or talk as they dragged me out and into a disgusting smelling room of corpses. I could have been lying next to Lane's dead body for all I knew, the lack of movement or care keeping me from ever looking. It was hours I spent just staring at the blank ceiling, still just dreaming of what could have been. That was until the next shipment came in. It was then that I could finally see what could've been, and how much had really changed.

I knew they had taken Lane because he was a werewolf, that was obvious. But the reason had been a complete mystery. Two huge doors slammed open, guards dragging a group of people all tied together along a chain. They seemed normal, probably just as tortured and weak as myself, dead in all since of the word except for the beating hearts in their chests. One tried to make a final attempt to escape, crawling to her last breath until she finally expired just a few feet away from my body. The doors shut again loudly, leaving me alone in the vast room with more dead bodies.

At least that's what I thought until the woman suddenly came back to life to sink her claws into my leg. But she was human, or at least looked like it.

"What did they do to me?" She groaned in a weak voice, her messy hair tangled around her face. But I could still make out those eyes, burning a golden yellow right into my soul. Her hand was changing now, but nothing like how Lane's had. It was breaking in on itself, knuckles bending backward and skin pulling tight. It was self-destructing, along with the rest of her. I couldn't get away fast enough, struggling to maneuver away on no energy and numb arms.

"What's happening to me!" The woman screamed again, her back arching backward and throwing her head upward. Blood soaked through her gray jumpsuit from her entire torso. I couldn't move anymore, horrified by the entire scene. Looking back on the chain, I realized that the same thing was happening to the rest of them, their bodies turning on themselves and ripping apart. They screamed and whined in pain, looking at themselves before suddenly clawing for their eyes or arms. At any other time I would've run, and never stopped. I would've screamed until my lungs burst, or tear at my own eyes so I wouldn't see this anymore. But I was left powerless, forced to listen to them die and bite through the pain pulsing in my leg. The world blurred and smeared around me as I slipped into unconsciousness. The images wouldn't go away, but at least in my dreams I was trying to get away and succeeded. The dream played over four times before I was awoken by someone shaking me by the shoulders, knocking my head back and forth.

"Shay? Shay! You've got to wake up, Shay! You've lost too much blood!"

Lane? What are you talking about? I'm fine... who's Shay? I'm Number 47. Let me sleep...

"Shay please!" The figure pleaded, becoming barely visible in the darkness that surrounded my vision. It had to be Lane, no one else new my old name, or who I used to be. A sharp pain exploded in my shoulder, and for a second I thought I was back in the carving room.

"Shay don't resist it! You'll die without it!" He pleaded, disappearing into the darkness.

Just hours later I felt a million times better if that was possible. It was warm where I was, and the ground was so comfortable...

"Shay, please wake up." A voice pleaded, crystal clear just behind me. The ground was too slick, and unnatural smelling. Why would I even notice that? My eyes finally opened to see a fast moving world, but I still couldn't move. The pain flamed up again around my shoulder, but I didn't want to look. A large hand grabbed the other shoulder and smoothly rolled me over to lay on my back. I was in a car, brand new from the scent. Again, why do I care about the smell at all?

"You had me worried there for a long time Shay." The driver said, his hand returning to the wheel.

"Lane?" I grumbled, still lead from my apparent coma.

"No... it's Eric, Shay." He sighed, the car slowing just barely. Eric was uneasy suddenly, breathing faster.

"Eric... you were taken too?"

"No, I went in Shay. I had to get you guys out of that place." He answered, making a wide left turn.

"Then where's Lane?"

Silence. It took a long time for my question to be answered, and it all came in pieces. First it was 'He didn't make it', and then as the journey became longer it evolved into 'He's gone Shay'. The drive was long and seemingly just a waste of time. The whole story had been finally told, my hands aching to tear out my own throat. I would end up just like those creatures stuck in that hole along with me, and there wasn't any reason to live anymore. Eric had lost Lane before finding me. But he had also been at that place before, and showed me his worn in 13 scar. The outside became a desert, and then slowly morphed into a more colorful and forbidding terrain. Cities passed in sequence, but it was a long time before I realized none of the signs were in english.

"Eric, where are we?" I asked, the first I had said for at least four hours.

"They took you to their base in the Middle East, Shay. We can't go back home without taking a plane." He answered, trying to stay calm. The cold settled in about an hour later, snow and ice covering most of the ground. It really was the middle of no where when Eric finally stopped. We stayed silent in our seats for several long minutes, neither of us wanting to talk about what had just happened. Eric knew I was liable to jump off the first cliff I saw if it meant not living in a world without Lane.

"Shay, I'm really sorry. But I have an old friend who lives just up the road with his family. He won't turn you away since he hasn't met you, but I doubt he'll let me in for long. Before I let you off, I want you to think about what Lane would do. Don't let his death be an excuse for you to go off yourself." He breathed, the mention of Lane becoming taboo to our ears.


	10. A Long Overdue Punishment

Chapter 10 – A Long Overdue Punishment

They had figured out a long time ago that the torture and scorching prongs wouldn't work on me. Aro had been scanning and waiting for that final moment of pain where I would scream out my darkest secrets and beg for them to stop. But I wouldn't give in, no matter how long I hung by the wrists or ankles, being stabbed through with all sorts of weapons. On one particularly torturous evening, hanging upside down, watching the blood flow down my limply hanging arms and puddling below me in a black circle, they finally gave up.

"She's blocked out all information on the Cullens and her own clan. I don't think she realizes how strong her blood really is. She doesn't even know when she is blocking out us or any other creature. Who does that remind you of?" Aro wondered, staring down from above.

"You don't supposed it was a member of the Daron's that bit her in the first place?" Caius asked, stroking a line of blood on my arm with freezing hands.

"From what I understand, she was bitten by a wild one, a Child who had been human before turning. But that doesn't mean he couldn't have been bitten by one. She certainly has maintained to stay alive longer than the others." Aro answered, cocking his head to the side without breaking his gaze.

"I don't find it amusing that she hasn't begged for mercy yet Aro! I want her to suffer horrendously until we decide to kill her!" Caius whined, finally turning to the other vampire.

"She might be adverse to her own death Caius, but have you ever thought to torture some of your subjects of the mind? If they like it or not, Children of the Moon are still partly human, and have that pesky problem with intense emotions. But we can use that against them my dear friend, and let her destroy herself." Aro smiled, reaching up to the latch and letting me fall to the ground loosely with a loud crack.

"Tomorrow she will learn how to embrace the killer inside of her, and kind that innocents are just as fine tasting as the guilty." Their conversation was nothing than another pointless banter at the time to me, but the next day I would find out how far they would go to hear a werewolf scream.

"_It seems people are starting to disappear, maybe they're planning an attack." Lane suggested, putting down the Italian paper. But we already knew that the Volturi didn't find it shameful to feast on their human neighbors. _

"_We're already paying them a visit Lane, don't be nervous. We don't know anything they don't already, so I can easily get in to find out where she is if I let Aro read me first." I answered, wishing I had the ability to be nervous for once. But being stone cold didn't come with that option. Sneaking into the large base was always haunting, but this time Bella would be safe from their wrath. Aro stood tall on his Gothic throne, his two elderly partners glaring at the rest of our group, especially Lane. _

"_What a glorious day it is, to see Ed..."_

"_Where is she Aro? I don't have time for this." I interrupted, aggravated with the loud thoughts of the thirsty vampires surrounding us, Lane's face being seen at a thousand different angles. _

"_Well, who would _She_ be?" Aro answered, not hiding his full-frontal portrait he would see, Keria cut up and bleeding. Just because he couldn't see it, I could only be angry for Lane and my sakes. _

"_Don't play games Aro, she is part of our clan." I growled. Aro scoffed, looking back at Caius who gleefully nodded and darted a stare at me._

"_Then come this way Edward, and bring your little pose too." He glided to the far right side of the room, leading us through a hallway of medieval style, dozens of rooms holding different inmates with a plethora of nightmares racing in their eyes. The hallway opened into a large room that had a sunken in arena a hundred feet long in the middle. There was nobody watching the scene that played out in the arena, only the three figures standing at the bottom. A man dressed in casual attire cowered on one side, staring at the other two. One had a large leather bag over its head, the other dressed in a theatrical lab coat. The man was screaming inside, the lab worker on his last nerve. But the bagged figure was completely silent, no thoughts whatsoever. _

"_This is our new torture device for those who do not succumb to the usual physical treatment. I admit it's a little drastic, but it works wonders." Aro sighed. Lane suddenly jumped forward to the very edge, breathing faster than I've ever heard. _

"_It's her..." _

_The bag was ripped off and Shay was indeed underneath, hair chopped short and eyes dull. The lab worker pulled away a small syringe, quickly walking through a barred door than lowered behind him. Shay didn't respond to any of Lane's calls, not moving a muscle for many moments until she slowly looked up at the man in the arena with her. He screamed in terror, trying to find an exit._

"_What's wrong with her! Edward do something!" Lane cried, but Shay suddenly went into motion. She exploded forward, a black-furred monster in her place as it went after the man. His cries died within seconds, the creature growling and eating loudly. _

"_They killed her..." Lane sighed, stepping backward with taking his eyes off the scene. I concentrated harder, but still nothing was being said from Shay. Her mind was completely blank of thought._

"_I admit it's harsh young one, but Shay had this coming long before we found her. She betrayed you, and almost endangered her very species." Aro sighed, not phased by the sight. "Soon she will be let off those nasty drugs just long enough to realize what she has done. Not even a part human mind can withstand that." He turned to leave, letting Lane's mind wander. _

"_She was just turned Edward, and seeing herself do this will kill her. I have to go down there!" Lane tried to jump, but I had to grab him. _

"_She's too far gone Lane! If you go down there while she's this fried, she'll kill you with ever knowing you were alive!" I yelled, pulling him back. The large creature in the arena had finished, walking on al fours to the middle of the room. It stood still again, just staring forward. _

"_Maybe she won't remember anything from being changed, sometimes wild ones don't remember anything at first!" Lane tried to convince himself. But he knew as well as I that wild ones couldn't remember anything in their first moon turning, and everything else was perfectly vivid in their minds. But as the minutes went by, the lab worker never returned, and no one else appeared to clean up the mess. The silence was just as loud and haunting as the commotion about to begin. First, the creature began to shrink down and change back to normal, Shay's human form returning. Standing up, she looked down at her shaking hands, dark blood still covering them. Then turned quickly around and stared at the mutilated body that was left of the man. Her entire naked structure was shaking, containing an explosion bigger and more horrifying than any holocaust. _

"_No no no..." She began to mumble, Lane tensing up at the sound of her voice. Her knees made a loud smacking noise as they hit the concrete ground, her hands reaching through her hair in a panic. _

"_NO!" She finally screamed, beginning to claw at her own skin and torso. As we had watched, Shay's real torture had finally begun._


	11. The Cost

Vampires can be sick and twisted creatures as Shay had found out. Sitting in the same room with her was almost unbearable, her dull eyes never phasing from their diligent stare at the opposite wall as the memories of torture and abuse flowed through her. Aro gestured sarcastically at the open door, slamming it shut behind me. I could almost feel every stab and burn from Shay's torture, walking cautiously closer before she suddenly sighed. Her arms were completely chained down to her sides, the metal links clinking loudly with every move she made.

"So you've come to save me yet again, Edward Cullen." She sighed, her head shaking as she talked. More screaming and insane laughter over flooded my sight, like my own personal torture had been formulated.

"Shay, come back with us, you don't have to do this anymore. We don't even have to fight, the vampires are letting you go..." But my plea was interrupted by another wave of laughter, this one even louder and piercing than before. It took me a few seconds of agony to realize that the laughing wasn't in my mind this time. Shay was actually cackling in her chair, the chains crashing loudly again.

"I can _never_ go back Edward! My life was over the day those men captured me and Lane to be treated and locked up like animals." There wasn't any attempt to hide her thoughts anymore, Shay's life was practically being played for me when she thought of a certain event. I could even feel the frozen snow landing on my skin as Lane proposed his love to her the night before everything ended.

"Shay, there is something you need to know, it's about Lane..." But as I should have expected, her reaction to his very name spoken by someone else was the same.

"Don't _ever_ say his name Edward! Lane is the only good thing that ever happened to me! And just saying his name is taking him away!" She screamed, turning in her chair and grasping the back of the chair with such force that is began to crack under the pressure. The moment it snapped she was on her feet, the heat of her anger pounding through my skin. The thick lengths of chain weighed her arms down to her sides, her breathing ragged and shaking her entire body. I darted toward the one-way glass that blended into one of the walls, Lane's screaming echoing on the other side. He could barely watch her like this, almost wild with insanity.

"Shay, he wanted me to protect you too. I can't just let you do this to yourself!' I yelled in mock anger. But I don't think Lane would have even suspected her next move. Shay reached up to her head, pressing her hands hard against it. And then without warning she jumped at me, slamming both of us into a concrete wall with her hands stretched and holding on on each side of my head. She leaned forward until her nose was mere millimeters from mine.

"I will not ask you again Edward Cullen to stop saying his name. But pretending that he was alive enough to send you a thought or beg in his grave for you to _protect_ me? You are sicker than all the vampires in the Volturi. You're worse than Aro!" She growled, suddenly letting go with her hands, both feet flying upward as she went backward and throwing me across the room. My solid body didn't even tense at the motion, not even a human could bruise at those speeds. But it was indeed annoying at the surprise she had accomplished. And that's when I noticed the intense silence in the room, Lane and Shay's thoughts completely blocked. Shay grabbed onto the remaining seat of her chair to stand, still shaking horribly with weakness.

"Shay, he is alive. I'm not lying to you, and I never have." I said lowly, pushing myself up. Shay grabbed her ribs with pain, looking around the room in a panic as if I was not there. And then she looked down at her bleeding hands that had been split open by the concrete. The gashes weren't healing, her desperate, maddening voice suddenly screaming out from her mind. What if? That was the only question running through her mind. What if all this pain was pointless? What if I wasn't lying to her? What would Lane think if he saw her now, insane and unable to function?

"All you ever did was try to protect me Edward, and look what I'm doing in return." She laughed sadly, her hands shaking violently. Then all movement froze for a mere second, Shay being replaced by that same monster that had brutally murdered before, charging straight for me.


	12. The Resolution

The Resolution

Even through my eyes the motion was quick, the door exploding open as Lane kicked it, slamming it into Shay and knocking her to the side.

"That's enough Shay!" He yelled, chest heaving deeply, eyes on fire. But I couldn't tell from anger, desperation, his expression too intense and filled of emotions to read clearly. Shay rolled into the opposite corner, shrinking down to her human form slowly before looking up. "He's telling the truth, but you already knew that." He growled.

"I couldn't stop it Lane, I was too scared." She whispered, keeping her head down in submission.

"Why would you ever think that I wouldn't love you just because you've gone a little crazy?" He asked, still intense as he crouched lower toward her.

"I killed so many Lane, they made me. I can't see without blood tainting my vision." She began to sob, hands reaching out and pulling her up weakly. "I'm a real monster Lane, how could you ever really love me?" She almost shrieked, panic running through her veins just like blood. Looking over at Aro, he merely smiled at the tragic display.

Suddenly Lane gave out a loud bark of laughter, Aro's face immediately turning into a grimace.

"Now you know how I felt when I first told you anything Shay. And I'll do the same thing you did that night, accept you because I know that you are not a monster. You are the person that I love most in this world. You could turn into one of those damn bloodsuckers and I would still love you all the same." He explained, helping her stand and taking her in his arms.

It was a wonderful sight, to see two as happy as I was with Bella. But just as they were so happy, I found something that threatened to end it all out of mere spite. Aro's eyes burned brightly in anger, his body readying to pounce on the couple unexpectedly. In the fraction of a second, I but my lip and thought of my love, and all the trouble that interfering in his attack would cause. We could never trust the Volturi again, and if I had to kill him, we would be running for the rest of eternity. But with a glance back at Shay, I realized that the smile that crossed her face, more brightly than I had ever seen before, was worth it. Because when someone threatened to end everything for Bella and I, we depended on the help of our friends to protect us and Renesmee such a long time ago.

I intercepted him before he pounced, taking him to the wall behind him and growling ferociously. Aro looked bewildered, then calm at my counter-attack.

"Are you going to take these two under your wing just like you did with that human; Bella?" He asked, a smirk threatening to spread across his face. I torn away, pushing him farther away without losing control.

"Consider them under our protection for now on, from the entire Volturi." I growled, ready to rip his throat out if he fought against it. Aro smiled widely, taking a step to the side to look upon them again. Lane had his arms tensed around Shay, glaring at Aro with blazing eyes.

"You have always had a soft spot for lower creatures, Edward. But..." He looked upon Shay again, eyes turning darker suddenly. "... I did pay to have her shipped here, and Caius will miss watching her suffering." He replied absent-minded.

"You want money, then take it. She's worth more than that." I spat, stepping in front of his view again. Aro scoffed, turning to leave, pulling his robes straight once again.

"No need Edward, The Volturi is well equip in gold." He sighed, leaving the double doors open behind him.

Lane stood, his head still hung as he gazed upon the grave of his old friend.

"He did the right thing, bringing you here to the Cullen's." He sighed, turning around to face Bella and I. "Thank you Edward, Bella, for looking after Shay while she needed someone most." He said, grabbing our hands to shake lightly.

"Where will you go after this?" Bella asked, looking at Shay longingly.

"Well The Volturi will only stay far away as long as we can get to you quickly. Just contact us if you plan to move back to the Americas." He asked, handing a small piece of paper in my hand containing a phone number. Lane kissed Shray's blushed face before parting for the car. Shay stepped forward with what seemed to be a permanent smile across her face, never fading in the few days since she was reunited with Lane. But it suddenly faded, her expression more serious as she looked at Bella in the eye.

"I'm sorry I almost got you killed by werewolves. And just dropping like a bomb without a real explanation." She sighed. Bella nodded, then suddenly wrapped her arms around Shay in a hug.

"Thank you for saving me Shay, and taking on the Volturi." Bella gasped, threatening to cry if she could. Shay was taken aback by the gesture, taking a second before she wrapped her arms around Bella. Bella smiled as she pulled back. nodding to me before she headed back to the house.

Shay and I stood for a long moment of awkwardness in the snow, flakes blowing by in the strong wind, neither of us shivering against the cold.

"Thank you for being my Protector, Edward." She said, making eye-contact for what seemed the first time. Her eyes were even brighter than when she first turned, happier and full of undying spirit. "Thank you for trying to warn me about Lane, for bringing him to me, for never giving up on me, coming to save me in America, and..." She stopped for a second, slumping her head over to breathe. I took the next step, putting my arms around her for the first and last embrace we would have. She nodded her head against my chest, hugging back and letting out a sobbing breath.

"Thank you for being the closest thing I've ever had to a best friend, or an older brother." She confessed, looking up. That was what it felt like, I suddenly realized, being around Shay. She was a new creature, a younger creature, one that needed guidance and a helping hand in the most trying time of her life. A younger sibling looking for the older figure to show her the way. I felt my mouth smile at her, Shay reflecting the gesture. I pecked her forehead and let her go, both of us laughing at the realization.

"Now I won't be too far away Edward Cullen, so don't piss off Bella." She commented, turning to follow Lane to the black car we had given them to take, smiling bigger than ever before, ready to take on the world.


End file.
